In Africa the heights of Asia or America are not reached, but the presence of different plateaus means that the average continental altitude is quite high, 750 meters (2,460 feet).The first place of Kilimanjaro stands out in this ranking, almost 700 meters higher than the second continental peak, Mount Kenya, both of volcanic origin; together with the Ruwenzori they are the only mountains to exceed 5,000 meters in height.
The highest peaks in Africa are located in the central-eastern part of this continent, all quite close to the equator, but despite this their peaks are covered with snow throughout the year.
In addition to the continental chains and mountains there are several islands of volcanic origin that reach considerable altitudes, starting from Tenerife, in the Canaries.
| Mountain | Height (meters) | Height (feet) | Mountain Range | Country |
| Kilimanjaro (1) | 5,895 | 19,341 | Rift Valley | Tanzania |
| Mount Kenya (2) | 5,199 | 17,057 | Rift Valley | Kenya |
| Ruwenzori | 5,109 | 16,762 | Ruwenzori Mountains | Democratic Republic of the Congo / Uganda |
| Mount Meru (3) | 4,566 | 14,980 | Rift Valley | Tanzania |
| Ras Dashen | 4,533 | 14,872 | Ethiopian Highlands | Ethiopia |
| Karisimbi | 4,507 | 14,787 | Virunga Mountains | Democratic Republic of the Congo / Rwanda |
| Mount Elgon | 4,321 | 14,177 | Rift Valley | Kenya / Uganda |
| Jebel Toubkal (4) | 4,165 | 13,665 | Atlas Mountains | Morocco |
| Mount Cameroon (5) | 4,040 | 13,255 | Cameroon line | Cameroon |
| Pico de Teide (6) | 3,718 | 12,198 | Tenerife | Spain (Canary Islands) |
| Thabana Ntlenyana (7) | 3,482 | 11,424 | Drakensberg | Lesotho |
| Emi Koussi (8) | 3,415 | 11,204 | Tibesti Mountains | Chad |
| Kinyeti | 3,187 | 10,456 | Imatong Mountains | South Sudan |
| Piton des Neiges (9) | 3,069 | 10,069 | Réunion Island | France |
| Jebel Marra | 3,042 | 9,980 | Marra Mountains | Sudan |
| Emba Soira | 3,018 | 9,902 | Eritrean Highlands | Eritrea |
| Pico Basilé | 3,011 | 9,879 | Bioko Island | Equatorial Guinea |
| Sapitwa | 3,002 | 9,849 | Mulanje Massif | Malawi |
| Mount Tahat | 2,908 | 9,541 | Hoggar Mountains | Algeria |
| Maromokotro | 2,876 | 9,436 | Tsaratanana Massif | Madagascar |
| Pico do Fogo | 2,829 | 9,281 | Fogo Island | Cape Verde |
| Mount Moco | 2,620 | 8,596 | Serra do Moco | Angola |
| Mount Nyangani | 2,592 | 8,504 | Eastern Highlands | Zimbabwe |
| Königstein | 2,573 | 8,442 | Brandberg Massif | Namibia |
| Mount Shimbiris | 2,460 | 8,071 | Ogo Mountains | Somalia |
| Chappal Waddi | 2,419 | 7,936 | Adamawa Mountain | Cameroon / Nigeria |
| Mount Karthala | 2,361 | 7,746 | Grande Comore island | Comoros |
| Queen Mary's Peak | 2,062 | 6,765 | Tristan da Cunha Island | United Kingdom |
| Pico de São Tomé | 2,024 | 6,640 | São Tomé Island | São Tomé and Principe |
| Idoukal-n-Taghes | 2,022 | 6,634 | Aïr Mountains | Niger |
* only the most significant mountains after the three highest are shown
(1) A dormant volcano isolated from other mountains, it rises from its base for almost 5,000 meters.
(2) Extinct stratovolcano that gave its name to the entire host country.
(3) Stratovolcano still active today, located 70 kilometers west of the top of Kilimanjaro.
(4) Highest peak in North Africa.
(5) Volcano still active, the top of which is a few tens of kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean.
(6) Highest mountain in the Atlantic Ocean.
(7) Highest peak in Southern Africa.
(8) It is the highest mountain in the Sahara.
(9) It is the highest peak in the entire Indian Ocean.